Railroad-tie and plate.



c. 11. WEST.

liAILBOAD TIE AND PLATE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1912.

I 1,059,582. Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

'q/villmmo- CHARLES H. WEST, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-TIE AND PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. :22, 1913.

Application filed November's, 1912. Serial No. 730,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. Wssr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRailroad-Ties and Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined railway tie and clamping plate. I

The object of the invention is to hold securely the rails and also toprevent sagging of the rails due to the rotting of the wooden ties. Atthe same time it is found desirable to employ a certain amount of woodin connection with a railway tie, as this material possesses certainproperties not found in ties constructed entirely of concrete, or ofmetal. A solid concrete 'tiedoes notpossess the elasticity requisite ina perfect tie and under heavy pounding is liable to split. A solid metaltie is subject to a conslderable amount of contraction and expansion be-5 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1' is a plan view. of a portionof a track Withmy improved ties and clamps in use. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section through one of said ties, the rails being shown 'intransverse section. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4is a section on the.line 44 of Fig. -1.. Fig. 5 is a'detail perspectiveview of one of the clamping plates.

In constructing my device, I employ a metallic trough or pan 1, said panhaying a length, width, and depth substantially those of the ordinarywooden tie. Within and at each end of said trough is arranged a woodenblock 2, and similar blocks 3 are arranged transversely within thetrough and at a distance from the blocks 2 equal to the width of a railbase. The distance between the blocks 2 and 3 should not be less thanthat mentioned and is preferably slightly greater, so that the base ofthe rail does not overlap the'said blocks. The space 'ed to fit over therail base.

the plate 8 are bent downwardly forming between n blocks is filled'in'with concrete as mdlcated at- 4. The longitudinal central portion ofthe tie, that isbetween the blocks 3, is also filled in with concrete asshown-at 5, the said concrete having embeddedtherein a cross shapedmetallic reinforcing bar 6, the ends of which bear upon the adjacentfaces of the blocks 3. The

rails 7 rest upon the concrete blocks 4 formed between the blocks 2 and3. In

' order to clamp the rails in position I employ plates 8, which upon oneside carry a laterally and upwardly extendingflange 9 adapt- The ends.of

perforated. ears-10. These plates fit upon the wooden'blocks 2 and 3'and the cars 10 extend .down over the outer faces of the trough 1. Boththe locks and the sides of the trough are 'suita y perforated, theper-'forations of the cars- 10 registering with those of the trough andblocks. The. plates 8 are locked in position by means of bolts '11which'pass through the ears, the sides of the trough and the woodenblocks, suitable nuts 12 working upon the threaded ends of the bolts.These bolts prevent any movement of the plates in a direction at rightangles to the rail, and the ears prevent any longitudinal movement ofthe plates. As

these plates rest upon wooden blocks the bolts and nuts are not subjectto the'jars and vibrations to which they would be subjected if there wasa continuous metallic surface between the said bolts and nuts and thetop rails. Furthermore, by employing wooden blocks as shown, I provide atie which is especially adapted for use where electric wires are runalongside the track for the purpose of operating switches and signals.Where metallic ties have been tested it has been found that there ismore or less danger of a short circuit being formed through the tieitself. The wooden blocks therefore form suitable insulating surfaces towhich the electric conductors may be safely secured.

What I claim is: 1'. A device of the kind described, comprising ametallic troufgh, wooden blocks 2. -A device of the kind describedcomprising a metal trough, wooden blocks arranged therein, concreteblocks molded in said trough, and spacing the wooden blocks apart, saidtrough and the wooden blocks having alining perforations, andrail-clamping plates provided with dependingperforatedearsfthe'perforations of the ears being adapted to registerwith those of the and spaced-from the endfblocks,a distance equal to thewidth of a rail base, concrete.

blocks arranged between the wooden blocks at each end of the tron h,respectively, a concrete blockarranged 1n the trough and extendingfrom-one of the second mentioned blocks to the other, a metallicreinforcement in' the last mentioned concrete block, said reinforcementbearing at its ends upon adjacent-faces of the second mentioned woodenblocks, rail clamping lates having depending ears extending ownwardlvover the sides of the trough, and suitable bolts for securing said earsto said trough, said bolts 30 passing through, said wooden blocks.CHARLES H. WEsT,

Witnessesz' ABE Gno'rs'rnm, HENRY P. BARKLEY.

